WINDSOR -- Members of the Essex County Chinese Canadian Association are carrying on with lunar new year celebrations as usual.
They feel the coronavirus risk is low in this area and people here will not be impacted.
“We have discussed this among the board members and some other members and we feel the chances of getting infected in this city are very low at this moment in time,” says ECCCA president Stephen Tsui.
The Lunar New Year started on Saturday, before celebrations at Devonshire Mall on Sunday afternoon.
“This is also an event to educate the general public as well as our young generation to see the Chinese traditions.
Most of the festivities went ahead as planned, but organizer Catherine Fung said a few of the children’s groups chose not to attend.
"Some of the children can't come because their parents are a little worried, which we understand because they are young,” says Fung. “So a couple groups of children, they cancelled, but we still have a lot of others."
Fung says despite the risk, however low, it's important to continue with the celebration.
"We will carry on and also hoping that with the happy event, we will drive away all of the evil spirits, which is the virus right?" she says.
For some, the outbreak is not of much concern at all.
Dale Chen attended Sunday's celebrations and says he's confident in the measures being taken to prevent the Coronavirus spread.
"In 1918, the Spanish flu killed 15 million, but now we don't have that kind of situation," he says.
Tsui is happy Windsor's event was able to go ahead despite the concerns, but he understands why other Canadian cities like West Vancouver, decided to cancel some lunar celebrations.
"I'm not surprised because they are basically an international port, and they are receiving a lot of tourists from China every day, Windsor being a little bit removed from there so our chance is quite low," says Tsui.
The 42nd Annual Chinese New Year's Gala in Windsor is also going ahead. It's planned for Feb.29 at the Ciociaro Club.
